Дома мы всегда переобуваемся в тапочки у двери.

Here дома is an adverb meaning at home.

• Дома = at home
• В доме = in the house/building

So:

• Дома мы всегда переобуваемся... = At home, we always change into slippers...
• В доме... would focus more on being physically inside the building, not on the idea of being at home as a routine or lifestyle setting.

This is a very common Russian distinction:

• Я дома = I’m at home
• Я в доме = I’m in the house

Yes, Russian could leave it out:

• Дома всегда переобуваемся в тапочки у двери.

That would still be grammatical, because the verb ending -емся already shows we.

However, мы is often included when:

• the speaker wants to be clear,
• there is a little emphasis on we,
• or it simply sounds more natural in context.

So both are possible:

• Дома мы всегда переобуваемся...
• Дома всегда переобуваемся...

Переобуваемся comes from переобуваться and means we change shoes / we change into different footwear.

It is built from:

• обуваться = to put on shoes / get shod
• переобуваться = to change shoes, especially from one type to another

In this sentence, it means something like:

• we take off our outdoor shoes and put on slippers

So пере- adds the idea of changing from one thing to another.

The -ся makes the verb reflexive, and in this context it means the subject is doing the action to themselves.

So:

• мы переобуваемся = we change our shoes / we change into different shoes
• мы переобуваем кого-то = we change someone else’s shoes

This is very common in Russian with actions involving clothing and personal care:

• одеваться = get dressed
• раздеваться = undress
• обуваться = put on shoes
• переобуваться = change shoes

English does not usually mark this reflexive idea as clearly, but Russian often does.

It is present tense, but here it has a habitual meaning.

Because of всегда (always), the sentence means:

• we always do this
• this is our usual habit at home

So even though the verb is present tense, it does not mean only we are changing shoes right now. It means a repeated, regular action.

This is very normal in Russian, just as in English:

• We always take our shoes off at the door.

Because Russian uses в + accusative when there is a change into something.

Here the action is movement/change of state:

• from outdoor shoes
• into slippers

So:

• в тапочки = into slippers

Compare:

• переобуться в тапочки = to change into slippers
• быть в тапочках = to be wearing slippers

So the difference is:

• в тапочки → destination/result of changing
• в тапочках → the state of already being in slippers

Because in Russian, footwear like shoes, boots, slippers, etc. is usually talked about in the plural, since they come as a pair.

So:

• тапочки = slippers
• ботинки = shoes/boots
• кроссовки = sneakers

Even when English might sometimes use a singular-looking form like slippers as a general category, Russian naturally uses the plural here.

Also, after в with the meaning into, we need the accusative plural, and for тапочки the form is the same as the nominative plural:

• тапочки

Двери is in the genitive singular because it follows у.

• у
  • genitive = by, near, next to, at

So:

• у двери = by the door / near the door

Compare:

• у окна = by the window
• у входа = by the entrance
• у стола = by the table

Here it tells us where the changing of shoes happens.

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things.

• у двери = by the door / near the door
• перед дверью = in front of the door

In this sentence, у двери sounds natural because it refers to the usual location where people change shoes: near the entrance area.

Перед дверью can sound more specifically like standing directly in front of the door, which is a bit narrower and less idiomatic here.

So у двери is the more natural everyday choice.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible. This sentence starts with дома to set the scene first: at home.

The current order sounds natural and neutral:

• Дома — setting
• мы — subject
• всегда — frequency
• переобуваемся — action
• в тапочки — result
• у двери — place

But other word orders are also possible, depending on emphasis:

• Мы дома всегда переобуваемся в тапочки у двери.
• У двери мы дома всегда переобуваемся в тапочки.
• В тапочки мы дома всегда переобуваемся у двери.

These alternatives are grammatical, but the emphasis changes. The original sentence is a very natural way to say it.

Not quite, because the meanings are different.

• обуваемся = we put on shoes / get shod
• переобуваемся = we change shoes

In this sentence, the important idea is that people already have one kind of footwear on and switch to another kind. That is why переобуваемся is the better verb.

At home, the common idea is:

• outdoor shoes off
• indoor slippers on

So переобуваемся is exactly the right verb.

Russian often leaves out possessive words like my, your, our when they are obvious from context.

So:

• переобуваемся в тапочки naturally implies into our slippers or simply into slippers

If needed, Russian could say:

• в свои тапочки = into our own slippers

But that would add extra emphasis, as if you want to contrast them with someone else’s slippers. In a normal sentence, it is unnecessary.

Yes, very much so. For many learners, this sentence reflects a common Russian-speaking cultural practice: people often change from outdoor shoes into indoor slippers at home.

So the sentence is not just grammatically ordinary; it also describes a very familiar everyday routine.

That is one reason why переобуваться в тапочки is such a useful phrase to learn.